Effect of cerium cysteine on the vulcanisation property and thermo-oxidative ageing of natural rubber

A novel accelerator, cerium cysteine (Ce-Cys) was synthesised by double replacement reaction. The complex was characterised by FT-IR analysis, thermal analysis, EDTA titration and elemental analysis, respectively, to determine that the molecular formula of the complex was Ce (Cys)₃Cl₃·3H₂O. Cure characteristics, crosslink density, mechanical properties and thermo-oxidative ageing of NR compounds were investigated. The research revealed that the vulcanisates containing Ce-Cys manifested high scorch time, outstanding mechanical properties, and better thermo-oxidative ageing properties. Furthermore, based on kinetic calculations, it was concluded that as the amount of Ce-Cys increased, the reactivity of the crosslink precursor increased while the activation energy decreased.